Hunter x Hunter : Germain Joins The Hunt

As the "Disease Spreader" fell, the remaining malevolent spirits and zombies scattered like monkeys fleeing a falling tree, dispersing in all directions.

In no time, the gray-white ritual grounds were calm again.

Clap, clap.

Germain picked up the triangle hat that had fallen to the ground, dusted off the dirt from the brim, and placed it back on his head.

He closed his bloodshot eyes and gently massaged around his eye sockets, relaxing the muscles slightly, easing the dryness of his eyeballs.

When Germain opened his eyes again, most of the blood vessels in the whites of his eyes had disappeared, and his cold, dark gaze returned.

His rationality had also returned.

However, the dark crown still hovered above Germain's head, a symbol that things were not as simple as they seemed.

"Are you okay?" Ging was the first to approach, hands in his pockets, asking from a distance.

He had prepared himself for the worst—that Germain might lose control and that he would have to fight with all his might.

Germain waved his hand, signaling that things weren't that bad. Ging let out a small sigh of relief.

Bisky, Shizuku, and the now-awake Menchi arrived a moment later, also asking about Germain's condition.

They had all witnessed the "Chaos Roar" earlier, and the destructive power was simply unimaginable.

However, Germain's current state suggested that such power came with a price.

While everyone was relieved to have defeated the "Disease Spreader," they were also worried about the toll it had taken on Germain's body.

"This is the evolved ability I just mastered," Germain explained. "I can't fully control it yet, so there are some side effects."

Bisky pointed to the dark crown on his head. "That's no 'small side effect,' is it? The appearance of the dark crown only means one thing—you're suffering from 'torment.'"

"Yes," Germain replied. "This is 'Vows and Limitations.' Whenever I use that power just now—the one I named 'Chaos Roar'—I directly fall into a state of 'torment.'"

"But, this 'torment' state doesn't have any special traits. It's simply tormenting my mind..."

Germain spoke lightly, but he had just been immersed in the absolute power of 'Chaos Roar,' nearly unable to pull himself out of it. Luckily, he regained his sanity at the last moment.

His stress level had already crossed the 100-point threshold, now reaching 159 points. It wasn't far from the 200-point mark, where mental exhaustion would set in.

However, the power he gained was significant and worthwhile. It helped him defeat the 'Disease Spreader' in a very short time.

The reward was also considerable.

The 'Disease Spreader' had sacrificed its immortality and regeneration abilities, briefly gaining world-changing power, but Germain turned the tables, driving it underground and putting it into a dormant state.

In this state, it was considered 'dead.' It would have to wait until the dormant period ended, at which point its immortality would revive it, bringing it back to the surface.

The 'Bloodthirsty Apostle' followed a similar principle.

By exploiting this bug, Germain obtained the 'Gift of Resentment.'

His physical and Nen Capacity attributes increased to 154 and 165 points, but he still hadn't reached the threshold of 'Legendary' level.

At the same time, a new rune was engraved on his chest—'The Great Lake.' It looked like a straight scar, with many lines crossing it vertically.

'The Great Lake' could reduce some of the damage he took, whether it was physical or mental.

On top of that, the 'Blood Intoxication' ability he had previously gained allowed him to heal himself by landing critical hits on enemies. With two runes now, he had gained a lot of power.

But the price was that his chest was now covered with strange markings, much like a practitioner of harsh training.

Right now, Germain wasn't focused on the 'Torment' or 'Gift of Resentment' he already possessed. What he wanted was the 'Alchemy Plant.'

So, he walked towards the abyss entrance where the "Disease Spreader" was, but was stopped by Bisky.

"You should rest for a while!" Bisky's strong arms wrapped around Germain and forced him to sit on the ground. "We'll talk after the 'torment' ends. Leave the job of picking the 'Alchemy Plants' to us."

Shizuku also came over and stood in front of Germain.

She didn't say comforting or caring words like Bisky. She simply pressed her lips together, reached up, and took off the inverted cross necklace from around her neck.

Shizuku handed the inverted cross necklace to Germain.

"I don't believe in religion," Germain said, surprised by Shizuku's action.

"This thing was blessed by the old priest," Shizuku said, pointing to the necklace while saying something a non-believer shouldn't, "I feel peaceful when I wear it."

Since Shizuku insisted, Germain had no choice but to accept it and held the necklace in his palm.

Maybe that old priest had Nen abilities and could make the blessed object calm people down…

The truth was, Germain was overthinking. It was just a regular inverted cross necklace.

Heavy and cold, it made him feel like he was wearing shackles.

Germain stayed near the entrance of the cave. Half an hour later, the "torment" automatically stopped.

He felt much better.

The others had descended deeper into the earth, digging through the "Disease Spreader's" cysts, and obtained "Alchemy Plants" that looked like flower buds.

If not preserved properly and exposed to the air for too long, it would lose its elemental power and wither.

Luckily, Shizuku's "Blinky" spat out pre-prepared containers and solutions to store the "Alchemy Plants." In the end, they collected a total of 56 plants.

The "Disease Spreader" didn't have many fruits inside.

By the time they reached the surface, it was already past noon.

The group that obtained the "Alchemy Plant Metallion" was excited, yet it felt natural to them, since this wasn't the first time they had gotten "hope."

Especially for Menchi, who had participated in the battle and helped acquire the "Alchemy Plant Metallion." This made her feel more involved and a stronger sense of belonging within the team.

It almost felt like they would find it easier to obtain these "hopes" in the future.

At that point, "disasters" wouldn't even seem like "disasters" to them.

Germain also got a chance to see the true form of the "Alchemy Plant Metallion." It wasn't so much like a Herb for All-illnesses, but more like a crystal.

It was blood-red all over, shaped like an unbloomed flower bud. The crystal inside had a sheen, revealing different markings.

Germain took a look and saw four different markings, likely corresponding to "wind, water, fire, and earth," the powers it contained.

When Germain touched them, he confirmed that they actually felt like plants. The roughness and softness weren't something crystals should have.

With that, they had acquired both the "Herb for All-illnesses" and the "Alchemy Plant Metallion."

"The riot last night and the gathering today had a reason," Ging concluded after observing the "Disease Spreader" closely and thinking it through. "It had just come out of its dormant period, and when it was about to recharge, we caught it."

"Just came out of its dormant period..."

The group looked up in surprise.

Germain quickly understood what Ging meant. "Are you saying someone defeated the 'Disease Spreader' before us?"

"Yes." Ging gave a knowing smile to everyone. "Who do you think that person might be?"

Who else could it be?

With that expression from Ging, the only one who could possibly do this on the Dark Continent was probably the legendary Don Freecss.

"Your ancestor really isn't dead, huh?" Bisky said, looking surprised. "But this is just an indirect clue. Without seeing him in person, we can't be sure."

"True," Ging nodded. "But if he did come here, his goal would likely have been to replenish the 'Alchemy Plant Metallion' so he could move more easily on the Dark Continent."

"If this hypothesis is correct, then is it possible that he also went to the other 'Five Great Hopes' to gather the items he needs?"

"Is it possible that Don Freecss might appear in the 'Labyrinth,' looking to harvest a new batch of 'Herb for All-illnesses'?"

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